Percys (Page 1)

Coombeshead Estate
Welcome to Coombeshead Estate woodland
planted in 2001. The old fields were part
of a former dairy farm and is now a mixture
of newly-planted woodland, organically
registered meadows, hedgerows,
ponds, glades, existing mature
woodlands and an orchard. This
diversity of habitats greatly
enriches the number of plants
and animals found here.
100 Metres
N
Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission
of the controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown Copyright.
Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead
to prosecution or civil proceedings. Licence no. 100019783 - 2006.
Vegetables and herbs are grown in the beds
next to the car park and these are used
to complement the restaurant’s menu.
Ancient sunken lane leading to woodland.
Racehorses are bred on the
estate and a riding course
consisting of jumps, banks
and ditches, circles much
of the woodland.
YOU ARE
HERE
The site is also used for
demonstrations of woodland
management, with frequent
courses held on hedge laying
and coppicing.
Tall canopy trees are represented mainly
by Oak and Ash. Some Scot’s Pine and
Western Red Cedar are mixed into the
new planting to give evergreen roosting
cover during the winter months. Smaller
and woodland edge species have been
chosen to maximise the amount of
berries and nuts produced.
One of the tributaries of the river Torridge crosses the
site feeding two shady ponds towards the Western edge.
Two ponds were created towards the Southern boundary
when the wood was planted. These ponds were designed
so that outflowing water spills freely down the banks
before being channelled away. This encourages hordes
of Dragonflies and Damselflies during the summer months.
The ponds are stocked with Golden Rudd a good meal
for passing Herons and Otters.
The meadows and rides are increasingly being managed for
wildflowers, through a cutting regime that encourages a
patchwork of differing height grass during the growing season.
Photo - Laurie Campbell
Many of the planted tree species were chosen specifically to
produce nuts, berries and fruits for ‘Percy’s Restaurant’. The
orchard in particular contains Bramley apple trees grown from
the original seed source provided by the Merryweather family.
Sheep graze the meadows whilst the mature woods are home
to the pigs. This provides lamb and pork for the restaurant,
together with game found on site.
Wet areas support a glorious profusion of Marsh marigolds.
The woodland is home
to Badgers, Foxes,
Stoats, Weasels and
Voles which in their
turn provide food for
Barn owls. Many bird
species have been
recorded here including
the Goldcrest, Britain’s
smallest bird.
There are plenty of butterflies
including the Marbled white
as well as woodland species
such as Purple hairstreak; this
particular butterfly being
totally reliant for its habitat
upon the presence of mature
Oak trees.
Some common species which may be found on Coombeshead Estate:
Cuckoo Flower (Lady’s-smock).
Cardamine pratensis.
A common flower of wet meadows and the
woodland edge, its pink flowers appearing in
early spring. One of the food plants of the
Orange Tip butterfly, a close look at the flower
stalks may well reveal the tiny cylindrical often
orange coloured eggs. A frequent component
of Culm grassland meadows.
Creeping Buttercup. Ranunculus repens.
Its creeping runners and low growth, with its
high tolerance to excess nitrogen make this
plant a survivor even in heavily fertilised fields.
When trees are planted it can rapidly spread in
the early years to dominate large areas until
shaded out by larger plants. Prefers damper
areas. A good source of pollen and nectar for
many invertebrate species.
Ghost Swift Moth. Hepialus humuli.
Flying in the evening and night in June, the
male moths are ghostly white and can be seen
hovering over long grass in meadows and newly
planted woodlands. The female lays her eggs in
flight and the caterpillars feed in the roots of
common grasses. It may take two years for an
egg to develop into the adult moth.
Meadow Brown. Maniola jurtina.
Probably the most abundant of the grassland
butterflies, its larva feeds on grasses, including
Cocksfoot grass. Widespread, but cannot
survive heavy fertilisation and improvement
of grasslands. Can be seen flying in poor
weather even in the rain.
Orange Tip. Anthocharis cardamines.
Commoner in wetter situations where
the Cuckoo Flower grows, this is our most easily
recognisable early Spring butterfly. Often found
in wetter meadows where grazing pressure has
been lifted following tree planting.
Barn Owl. Tyto alba. The classic bird associated
with newly planted woodlands. The tussocky
development of coarse grasses in the early years
of a plantation provide ideal habitat for small
mammals particularly the Field Vole, the Barn
Owl’s favourite prey item. An explosion in the
Vole population is often rapidly followed by the
appearance of Barn Owls on the site, quick to
take advantage of a hunting opportunity.
Field Vole. Microtus agrestis.
A very popular prey item for many predators,
in particular Barn Owls and Weasels. When
grazing pressure is removed from grassland
the tussocky grass that develops in the first few
years is ideal habitat for this species providing
both cover and food. Populations can explode,
drawing in predators to exploit the new food
supply.